In my dream of returning to the Tang Dynasty, I snatched Wu Zetian from my lap.

"Silly girl, don't cry."

"Today is a joyous day. Haven't I been promoted and made a fortune?" Li Yuanchang patted her back to comfort her.

I was a little dazed; I guess I had changed history.

"Mmm." Li Su held back her tears, wiped them away with her delicate hands, and was about to get up.

Li Yuanchang, however, casually slid his hand down to her waist and hips.

She felt as if she had been electrocuted; a tingling sensation quickly ran through her body, and her mind went blank. However, she did not utter a sound or refuse.

Upon receiving this signal, Li Yuanchang suddenly became bolder.

"Why don't you go wash up first?"

Li Su's face flushed red, and she was at a loss for what to do. She awkwardly hummed in response.

Then she got up and left.

"Behind," Li Yuanchang pointed.

"I...I'll go back and get a change of clothes," Li Su's voice was barely audible.

"Wear my clothes," Li Yuanchang said.

Li Su's heart pounded faster, she hummed in agreement, and fled as if escaping.

Li Yuanchang got up, closed all the doors and windows of the study, and told the guards outside to stay away and not disturb him.

Li Su had only been washing for a short while when Li Yuanchang slipped in.

The rushing water echoed against the delicate back of a young girl.

When Li Su saw someone enter, she was so frightened that she screamed and covered her chest.

"It is I, the king. Do not be afraid."

"Your Highness, how...how did you get in?"

"I, the king, also need to wash."

"Your Highness, this..." Li Su was truly embarrassed.

Without waiting for a reply, Li Yuanchang quickly stripped off his clothes and jumped into the bucket of water. The splashing water mirrored the complete chaos in Li Su's heart.

She sat inside, hugging herself, looking as delicate and timid as a girl next door.

Li Yuanchang stared blankly at her dew-covered face, her wet long hair clinging to her skin, beautiful and shimmering.

"Susu, you are so beautiful."

Li Su blushed, and to avoid embarrassment, she simply hugged Li Yuanchang tightly so that he couldn't see where she had exposed herself.

"Your Highness, Susu will belong to you alone from now on."

Li Yuanchang chuckled and took the opportunity to dab his hands in the water.

Seeing that she was really hesitant, as is often the case with young women, he didn't press her any further.

"Come, give me a back rub."

He turned around and walked away.

Li Su felt instantly relieved when she lost Li Yuanchang's staring gaze. Then, her eyes fell on the arrow scar on Li Yuanchang's back, and she couldn't help but stroke it.

"Your Highness, it must hurt a lot, right?" Her eyes were filled with tears.

"It doesn't hurt."

"They've all healed," Li Yuanchang said.

Li Su's tears fell into the bucket. She knew that many of these injuries were because of her. If she hadn't been saved, Li Yuanchang would never have been demoted, much less go to the north to fight, and would have almost died.

With this thought in mind, she no longer had any reservations. She calmly lowered her hands, exposing her upper body completely to the air.

"Your Highness, please turn around." She mustered her courage.

Li Yuanchang subconsciously turned around, his eyes blurred, and he almost had a nosebleed.

It wasn't a magnificent scene, but rather a tender, budding lotus, its pink and white petals interspersed.

Li Su was trembling with nervousness, but she was braver than ever before. She picked up a water ladle and washed Li Yuanchang's body, oblivious to everyone else, and openly showed it to him.

The enchanting atmosphere, accompanied by rising steam, created a dreamlike and enchanting ambiance.

During a bath, after soaking for less than fifteen minutes, the sound of rushing water came from inside, followed by the sound of footsteps.

Then, the sound disappeared.

Finally, there was the cry of a cuckoo from Li Su.

But it is tragic without being mournful; rather, it evokes a lingering, intense feeling.

"..."

The next day.

Li Yuanchang entered the palace for the first time as Minister of War, participating in court affairs and formally squeezing into the core of the Tang Dynasty's Zhenguan era, rather than being a temporary figure.

Along the way, countless ministers flattered and tried to win him over, almost more than half of them. Even people like Fang Xuanling would stop and chat with him with a smile.

At twenty-two years old, having reached this level, he is no less accomplished than a young prime minister.

Including his various privileges and the tens of thousands of soldiers he directly commanded, he was practically a second Li Shimin.

It wasn't that no one had advised Li Shimin on this matter, suggesting that since he had become the Minister of War, he should be stripped of some of his other posts, especially his military power in Lantian County and Liangzhou.

However, Li Yuanchang's repeated resignations backfired, as Li Shimin had no intention of stripping him of his military power.

The first thing Li Yuanchang did after becoming Minister of War was to reject the dispatch of troops, and then deal with the uprisings of the major tribes in the northern desert.

He first asked Li Shimin for some time, and then wrote more than twenty letters in his own hand, which were sent to the northern desert by fast horse. He immediately persuaded the various tribes to return to their camps and promised them an acceptable solution.

He then instructed Li Ji to restrain his subordinates, prevent internal strife, and await orders from the imperial court.

With his intervention and mediation, the calls for sending troops were suppressed.

His prestige in leading various tribes to storm the Xueyantuo camp also served as a stabilizing force, with the first to respond being the Mongol tribe.

In the following month, more than twenty units returned to the western front camp one after another.

Two days later, through Li Yuanchang's mediation and manipulation, more than twenty tribes jointly submitted a petition, voluntarily apologizing to Li Shimin.

This move was brilliant, giving Li Shimin and the central government in Chang'an a way out.

In later generations, voluntarily confessing one's crimes usually resulted in a lighter sentence, let alone in ancient times. Emperor Taizong of Tang was overjoyed by this and ordered that it not be taken seriously.

At the same time, the issue of the tributary state was reconsidered.

The court never made a decision about relocating them; it was just a rumor that spread to the northern desert, which led to the uproar.

Of course, the Tang Dynasty's will was also clear: to continue the practice of controlling the prefectures.

However, with Li Yuanchang present this time, they were able to secure more benefits for the twenty-odd departments and facilitate timely communication between the two sides.

Finally, on September 8th.

The unrest in northern Mongolia, including the issue of relocation, was resolved perfectly within about two months.

More than twenty tribes still had to submit to the Tang Dynasty according to its will, and were to be relocated to new tributary states.

This time, however, Li Yuanchang secured a great deal of benefits for them.

One of the most important aspects was the border trade, which was tax-free and offered low prices. The Tang Dynasty would guarantee the survival of the people of the various tribes in the northern deserts, provide them with special supplies of salt and cloth, and allow them free access to all parts of Youzhou.

As for the nomadic people's innate herding habits, the Tang Dynasty did not interfere. The pastures remained theirs, and they did not need to pay any taxes or benefits.

Both sides found this acceptable and quickly reached an agreement.

After this matter was settled, Li Shimin ordered Li Ji to return and dispatched a large number of officials to establish two major tributary states in the northern desert, formally merging the entire grassland.

The Tang Dynasty's territory has expanded once again!